The Festival of Chanukah is more than just a time for nonprofits to celebrate another year of service and success. It is a time to communicate with their donors, the people and institutions that make it all possible. As we light the first Chanukah candle, let’s pause to consider how the most successful nonprofit agencies prosper from year to year and it’s more than just a miracle 365 days per year. This is one in a series of brief messages we, at EHL Consulting, hope will be helpful to you during the eight days of Chanukah.
By Benjamin Ginsberg, Consultant
Chanukah, the Festival of Light, marks an important milestone in the history of the Jewish people. One in which we declared we would never let the light go out, but rather, perpetuate our faith and traditions. As the days grow shorter and the lights brighter, Chanukah is a perfect time for Jewish organizations to ignite the charitable fires within the community by stressing the importance of year-end legacy giving opportunities.
Bequests comprise at least 75% of all planned gifts executed primarily through a will. Typically unmissed by heirs, a legacy gift of 1%, 5% or even 10%, can be life-altering for a Jewish charity. Since most people are unaware of legacy giving options and how they work, it is incumbent upon Jewish organizations to educate their stakeholders, and most importantly, to ask them! Most people will consider a legacy gift if they know about them.
By simply adding a Jewish organization to his or her will, a lasting legacy is created by a donor, perpetuating a Jewish organization. Tying legacy giving to the miraculous one-day supply of oil lasting for eight days is a compelling way to educate stakeholders that by making just one legacy gift, a miraculous long-lasting opportunity is created for a Jewish charity.
Like the Chanukah saying, Nes Gadol Haya Sham – “A great miracle happened there”, a legacy gift during Chanukah will affect its own miracle.